Amsterdam unveiled the world’s first hockey pitch that doesn’t need water last month — the inaugural FIH certified dry turf — as the sport continues to move towards stopping water cannons at elite internationals and, in the future, at clubs across the globe.
The pitch at MHC Weesp, four years in the making, is designed to be “perfectly sustainable and to contribute enormously to water savings”. It will also serve as a test pitch for city officials to decide on investing in other municipal areas.
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World’s first hockey pitch that doesn’t need water? I don’t think so – there are many pitches out there which don’t need water and are used regularly.
Maybe you mean pitches which can be certified for FIH international matches?
I played on pitches that didn’t need watering – they were grass, Redgra (ouch) and sand-based Astros!
Redgra was horrible, nearly as bad to play on as 3G
If it continues to work well , then England hockey should start sponsoring them here. Sure the Govt. could use it as a green policy boost.
Any reports on carpet burn on these pitches? This is what I see as water main advantage
It would be good to hear what the players honestly think of the field?
This is one manufacturers solution to the FIH’s ambition to move away from water based fields at global level competitions.
The clock is ticking to have a suitable surface for LA 2028.
My view is that any surface which meets the new FIH non-water standards will fundamentally change the game at the elite level.
How many other sports are moving away from their reliance on water?
– football
– rugby
– golf
– cricket
Presumably you can play football on it. That may finally be a solution to the dreaded spread of 3G pitches being installed at schools and by local councils. They’re installing them because they’re great for football and rugby but unfortunately no good for hockey.
These new surfaces won’t address the issue of losing hockey pitches to football foundation funded 3G surfaces unfortunately. I would suggest the closed loop surface which is being piloted as a solution to non water will be even worse to play football on than sand dressed.
3G is a threat even if a community hockey surface is saved where they rely on 5 aside/football income. As more 3G surfaces are built hockey pitches are more likely to lose bookings and unless hockey fills the gaps left when a school/leisure operator/council comes to resurface the economics will put hockey at risk. Ultimately there are so many sand filled surfaces in state schools which clubs access where hockey is hardly played anymore on the curriculum or as an extra curricular activity.
The only hope is once the rubber crumb ban comes in (8 years time) schools and facilities prefer sand dressed surfaces compared to the organic infill systems which will be the only infill permitted.
I would not hold out mind.
The drive to non water will have little impact in the UK apart from the Elite end as there are so few water pitches compared to water in Holland and Belgium where sand dressed have never really taken off. There are also quite a few clubs who have removed there water based pitches or replaced water with sand dressed and simply kept the water ling system for the top level games.
Jamie